Sealing means for registering devices.



I. J. FREDERICK. SEALING MEANS FOR REGISTERING DEVICES. 7 APPLICATIONFILED FEB.11, 1909.

956,490., Patented Apr.26,1910.

ANDREWW GBANAM uu. vucfmumcwrnim. WASHINGTON, u (:v

FRANK J. FREDERICK, OF SOB-ANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEALING MEANS FOR REGISTERING DEVICES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1910.

Application filed February 11, 1909. Serial No. 477,337.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. FREDERICK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sealing Meansfor Registering Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in sealing means for registeringdevices and is more particularly directed to a sealing device adapted tosecure a removable part of a register, as the cap of a water meter orthe like, against unauthorized disconnection, whereby the consumer orunauthorized person is prevented from having access to the registeringmechanism without the knowledge of the proper authorities.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of a flexiblestrip adapted to be secured about the cap or other removable part of theregister, with its terminals secured to a relatively fixed part of thebody, a sealing strip being utilized for the final connection, wherebythe part to be protected is held against unauthorized removal from thebody.

The invention will be described in the following specification,reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a view in elevation, illustrating the application of myimproved sealing means to a water meter. Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe sealing means.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawing, it will be notedthat my improvement is shown in connection with a water meter comprisinga body 1 having inlet and outlet pipes 2 and 3 and a cap at designed tocarry the registering dials, the cap being provided with a hinge cover 5arranged for free unobstructed movement so that the dials may beinspected at any time. The cap l is preferably secured in place by asuitable fastening means passed through diametrically arrangedregistering ears 6 projecting from the cap and upper portion of thebody, and it is to prevent the unauthorized removal of this cap that thepresent invention is designed.

In carrying out the invention I provide a flexible strip 8, as of wireor the like, one end of which is flattened at 9 and formed with anelongated aperture 10, the opposing end being similarly flattened at 11and formed with an elongated aperture 12. In applying the seal oneterminal of the strip is looped about one of the pipe connections to thebody of the meter, as the outlet pipe 3, after which the strip is passedto and around the cap in loop form, as at 13, the wire beingintertwisted to tighten the loop about the cap, the intertwisted portionpreferably resting immediately above one pair of alined ears 6 and 7, asshown. From the loop a strip is projected toward the opposing pipesection or inlet 2, about which it is partially looped, as at 14. Asealing strip 15 is passed through the opening 12 in the terminalportion 11 of the strip and over the upper portion of the inlet pipe,forming with the strip 8 a complete encircling inlet pipe. The terminalsof the sealing strip 15 are passed on opposite sides of the strip 8opposite the terminal 11 thereof, so as to include said strip within theloop formed by the sealing strip, one end of the sealing strip beingflattened at 16 and formed with an opening 17 to just permit the passageof the sealing strip 15 in normal condition. When the parts have beenapplied as described that end of the sealing strip passed through theopening 17 beyond said strip is flattened ,or enlarged, as at 18,forming a surface on which a seal may be duly 1mpressed. The sealingstrip 8 is thus locked to the inlet and outlet pipes of the meter bodyand is utilized to prevent possibility of separation of the cap a fromthe body. In this connection it is important to understand that thesealing strip 15 is entirely separate from the strip 8, so that whenremoval of the cap't to provide access to the meter is essentialbreakage or cutting of the sealing strip 15 will permit such accesswithout in any way destroying the strip 8. The scaling function of thestrip 8 is thus maintained perfect at all times, the necessity of accessto the meter through the removal of the cap requiring only the renewalof the sealing strip 15. As these strips 15 are of materially lesslength than the strips 8 an important saving is thus occasioned ascompared with a construction in which the renewal of the entire sealingmedia is necessary in each removal of the cap 4. While shown anddescribed in connection with the water meter, it is obvious that theimprovement is adapted for use with any registering apparatus in whichit is important that the user be prevented from having access to theregistering mechanism and the primary function of the device is toprevent tampering with the meter connections or the registering dials toprevent proper registration of the quantity of material used. Thecharacter of the strips 8 and 15 is not important except that they mustbe more or less flexible and I contemplate the use of any desiredmaterial in the construction of these strips.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

1. A sealing strip for registers including a looped end and an auxiliarystrip to seal the opposing end into loop form.

2. The combination with a Water meter including a removable cap, of asealing strip comprising a section of wire looped at one end about afixed part of the meter, looped intermediate its ends about the cap, andsecured at the opposing end to another fixed part of the meter.

3. The combination with a water meter including a removable cap, of asealing strip comprising a section of wire looped at one end about afixed part of the meter, looped intermediate its end about the cap,partly looped at the remaining end about a fixed part of the meter, andan auxiliary sealing strip to secure said partly looped end againstdisconnection.

4. A sealing strip comprising a wire section having its terminalsflattened and formed with apertures, and an auxiliary sealing strip of asize to pass through one of the apertures and having one of its endsflattened and formed with an aperture corresponding approximately to thesize of the auxiliary sealing strip.

5. A sealing device for registers including a flexible strip to becentrally engaged with a movable part of the register and looselyengaged at one end with a fixed part of the register, an auxiliarysealing means to loosely secure the remaining terminal of the strip to afixed part of the register, whereby upon the rupture of the auxiliarysealing means the flexible strip may be removed intact.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK J. FREDERICK.

Witnesses:

CLARA L. Woonnnrr, JOHN F. MURPHY.

